Electrical components and methods and systems of manufacturing electrical components

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an electrical component includes providing a substrate, applying an insulating layer on the substrate, applying a circuit layer on the insulating layer, irradiating the insulating layer with an electron beam to transform the insulating layer, and irradiating the circuit layer with an electron beam to transform the circuit layer. The substrate may be a metallic substrate that is highly thermally conductive. The insulating layer provides electrical isolation and effective heat transfer between the circuit layer and the substrate. The method may include coupling a light emitting diode module or other active circuits requiring thermal management to the circuit layer resident on the electrically insulating/thermally conducting layer.

1 . A method of manufacturing an electrical component, the method comprising:
 providing a substrate;   applying an insulating layer on the substrate;   applying a circuit layer on the insulating layer;   irradiating the insulating layer with an electron beam to transform the insulating layer; and   irradiating the circuit layer with an electron beam to transform the circuit layer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , said irradiating the insulating layer and said irradiating the circuit layer occurs simultaneously. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , said irradiating the insulating layer occurs prior to applying the circuit layer on the insulating layer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said irradiating the circuit layer comprises heating the circuit layer to melt the circuit layer to form an electrical conductor. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing a substrate comprises providing a metallic substrate that is highly thermally conductive, said insulating layer providing electrical isolation between the circuit layer and the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising preheating the circuit layer to a temperature below a melting point thereof prior to irradiating the circuit layers, said irradiating the circuit layer comprises heating the circuit layer to a temperature above the melting point of the circuit layer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said applying a an insulating layer comprises applying an insulating layer having a combination of binder and metal concentrations, said irradiating the insulating layer comprises vaporizing substantially all the binder leaving a substantially metallic layer to form the electrical conductor. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein applying an insulating layer comprises applying an insulating layer having glass or ceramic forming materials, said irradiating the insulating layer comprises irradiating the insulating layer to transform the glass or ceramic foil ling materials into glass or ceramic. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said applying an insulating layer comprises printing the insulating layer directly on the outer surface of the substrate, wherein said applying a circuit layer comprises printing the circuit layer directly on the insulating layer, 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising coupling a light emitting diode module to the circuit layer. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising electrically grounding the circuit layer during the irradiating process. 
     
     
         12 . An electrical component comprising:
 a substrate having an outer surface;   an insulating layer selectively applied to the outer surface, the insulating layer being configured in a pre-processing state and in a post-processing state after irradiating with an electron beam, the insulating layer being transformed from the pre-processing state to the post-processing state, wherein an electron beam at least partially penetrates the insulating layer during the irradiating to transform the insulating layer; and   a circuit layer selectively applied to the insulating layer, the circuit layer being configured in a pre-processing state and in a post-processing state after irradiating with an electron beam, the circuit layer being transformed from the pre-processing state to the post-processing state, wherein an electron beam at least partially penetrates the circuit layer during the irradiating to transform the circuit layer.   
     
     
         13 . The electrical component of  claim 12 , wherein the electron beam irradiates the insulating layer and the circuit layer simultaneously. 
     
     
         14 . The electrical component of  claim 12 , wherein the irradiation of the insulating layer occurs prior to applying the circuit layer to the insulating layer. 
     
     
         15 . The electrical component of  claim 12 , wherein the substrate is manufactured from a metallic material, the insulating layer providing electrical isolation of the circuit layer from the substrate. 
     
     
         16 . The electrical component of  claim 12 , wherein a non-metallic material content of the circuit layer is higher at the pre-processing state than the post-processing state, the non-metallic material being removed during irradiating by the electron beam. 
     
     
         17 . An electrical component forming system comprising:
 a chamber;   an irradiation source generating electron beams; and   a substrate positioned in the chamber, the substrate having an insulating layer selectively applied to the substrate, corresponding electron beams at least partially penetrating the insulating layer to transform the insulating layer, the substrate having a circuit layer selectively applied to the insulating layer, corresponding electron beams at least partially penetrating the circuit layer to transform the circuit layer.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the insulating layer is configured in a pre-processing state and in a post-processing state after irradiating with the electron beam, the insulating layer being transformed from the pre-processing state to the post-processing state, wherein an electron beam at least partially penetrates the insulating layer during the irradiating process to transform the insulating layer, and wherein the circuit layer is configured in a pre-processing state and in a post-processing state after irradiating with the electron beam, the circuit layer being transformed from the pre-processing state to the post-processing state, wherein an electron beam at least partially penetrates the circuit layer during the irradiating process to transform the circuit layer. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the irradiation of the insulating layer occurs prior to applying the circuit layer to the insulating layer. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the circuit layer has a low binder concentration when applied to the insulating layer, substantially all of the binder being removed during the irradiating process by the electron beam.